Marion and Herrin receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Marion
Herrin
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
73 · Top 36%
vs73 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
59 · Top 40%
vs57 · Top 43%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 25%
vs47 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Marion | Herrin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,836 | 12,226 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,912 | $59,975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,024 | $36,228 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,169/sq mi | 1,264/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $158,300 | $113,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $921 | $1,002 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.3% | 65.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | -0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.5% | 22.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% | 14.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 85 | 31 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.0 | 2.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.4% | 93.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.0" | 44.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.2 | 41.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.31 | 13.11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.4% | 24.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.9% | 28.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.2% | 65.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Marion
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Herrin
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Full profiles: Marion, IL · Herrin, IL · How this is calculated: methodology